India, Aug. 25 -- They are not activists in uniforms or workers with official tags. They are simple architects, business owners, wealth managers, and philanthropists with extraordinary compassion. This International Dog Day, HT talks to some of such silent guardians, who spend a major chunk of their time feeding and tending to stray and injured animals, asking for nothing in return but a wagging tail.

For Meenakshi Malik, what began as a simple act of kindness has now grown into a mission of compassion. "During the Covid lockdown, when the streets fell silent and shops remained shuttered, hundreds of stray dogs were left hungry. One evening, I ended up feeding nearly 200 starving animals. That moment became the turning point. Soon after,...